SALT LAKE CITY (Ticker) -- Looking to match their best start
ever, the Utah Jazz ran into Brian Grant and the Miami Heat.

Grant had 21 points, 10 rebounds and hit two crucial free throws
down the stretch as the Heat raced out to an early lead and held
off a late rally, handing the Jazz their first loss with a tough
87-80 triumph.

Grant, who entered tonight averaging 20 points and 13.5 rebounds
as one of nine new players on Miami's revamped roster, connected
on 6-of-11 shots and 9-of-10 free throws, giving the Heat their
first back-to-back wins of the season.

Trying to match the 6-0 start of the 1998-99 squad, the Jazz
pulled within 77-73 with 3:41 to play by reeling off 15 of the
first 18 points in the fourth quarter.

"They hit the first eight shots of the fourth quarter, four of
them were three and their defense began to tighten up but what's
relevant is what you do in the last couple of minutes of a game
and we did enough things to win," Miami coach Pat Riley said.

John Stockton buried a running jumper with 49 seconds left to
move Utah to 83-80. Bruce Bowen missed a jumper on Miami's
ensuing trip and Stockton rushed the ball up the floor before
his potential tying 3-pointer rimmed out and into Grant's hands
with 16 seconds left.

Grant was fouled and calmly sank both free throws, dropping Utah
from the ranks of the undefeated. Cleveland also suffered its
first loss of the year tonight, leaving Philadelphia (6-0) as
the NBA's lone undefeated team.

"We've been struggling for the past four games by having the
lead late in the game and letting teams come back and taking it
in the end," Grant said. "But I think it showed a lot of
character in this team to buckle down and stop them when they
were having a run at home."

"I knew we were going to lose eventually but I didn't expect it
tonight," Jazz center Olden Polynice said.

Karl Malone had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Jazz.

Tim Hardaway scored 17 points and Anthony Mason added 16 for
Miami, which used a 23-11 second quarter to take a 46-34
halftime lead. Eddie Jones added 13 points for the Heat, who
shot 47 percent (31-of-65) and outscored the Jazz, 20-13, at the
line.

"I think they came our right from the beginning and showed how
they were going to be all night," Sloan said. "I think we were
4-for-20 on outside shots in the first half. That's where they
kept us all night. They kept us falling away, shooting like we
were afraid they were going to foul us."

"You know its the best offense in the NBA against the best
defense and when you hold them to 28 points below their season
average and they are at home, then you're doing something
right," Riley said.

"They just outplayed us," Stockton said. "They outexecuted us,
they were patient and moved the ball around and played good
defense. We dug ourselves a hole, or let them dig a hole for us
and hoped for a miracle and it didn't happen."

After battling to a 23-23 tie after one quarter, the Heat took
some of the life out of the crowd of 19,093 at the Delta Center
in the second period.

Jones and Bruce Bowen hit 3-pointers as Miami took the lead for
good and Mason followed with a 16-footer to give the Heat a
31-27 lead with 9:05 left in the first half. Greg Ostertag hit
a free throw to stem the tide but Mason made two free throws and
Grant buried a 19-footer to make it 35-28 with 7:16 remaining.

Malone made a layup to get the Jazz within a bucket 4:19 before
intermission but Mason hit two short jumpers and a free throw,
Bowen made two from the line, Jone hit a technical free throw
and Hardaway knocked down a jumper to make open a 46-34 cushion.

"Coach told me to be more aggressive and do the things that I
can do," Mason said. "I won't make any excuses but it was just
time to step up and come in and give what I can give to this
team."

Grant scored eight third-quarter points as Miami opened a 74-58
entering the final 12 minutes. Ostertag opened the fourth
quarter by converting a three-point play and Utah quickly gained
momentum thereafter.

Donyell Marshall hit a free throw and a 26-footer to cut the
deficit to nine points. Grant answered with a thunderous dunk
as both teams struggled for baskets before Marshall hit a jumper
and Stockton and Malone both made 1-of-2 from the line to shave
the lead to 76-69 with 6:11 to play.

Grant made a free throw and Malone responded with a jumper and a
layup as Utah cut the deficit to four with 3:41 left. After a
timeout, the Heat once again found their offensive touch as
Jones and Hardaway drilled jumpers and Hardaway connected again
from 21 feet to make it 83-75 with 1:21 remaining.

Stockton hit a 3-pointer and a runner to get the Jazz back
within three before Grant's big free throws.

"Tonight we kept waiting for when we could get a little bit of
energy and try to pull the game out and we weren't capable of
doing it," Sloan said.